First Ever LGBT Adoption & Fostering Week

Submitted by jessica on 15 February, 2012 - 10:10

Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council will be holding a joint LGBT information evening on Tuesday 21 February, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm at the Colston Hall in a bid to encourage potential gay adopters and foster carers to come forward.

The event will include talks from local LGBT adoptive and foster parents about their own experiences and give those interested information on how to start the process.

Events are being organised across the UK as part of the country’s first-ever LGBT Adoption and Fostering Week (20-26th February 2012). It comes as gay adopters and foster carers are being hailed by social workers for their significant strengths in a survey commissioned by New Family Social, the LGBT network coordinating the week.

For a long time, it was very difficult for LGBT people to engage with fostering/adopting processes. Now adoption and fostering agencies see them as having a key role to play in meeting the urgent need for more new homes for children in care.

Andy Leary-May, Director of New Family Social, says: “More and more LGBT people are choosing adoption and fostering as a way to form a family, and we want prospective parents to see just how rewarding it can be, and how much advice and support is on offer from our huge community of families around the UK”.